InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Of Strings and Kevlar ❯ Dinner and a Show ( Chapter 22 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Selina MacCloveror 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Angst / Psychological / Hentai / Drama / Comedy | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 03.19.2016 | Pages: 15 | Words: 8.6K | Visits: 570 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Angst / Psychological / Hentai / Drama / Comedy | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 03.19.2016 | Pages: 15 | Words: 8.6K | Visits: 570 | Status: Work In Progress
A/N: All new stuff from here on out, folks, for those who were
reading this the first time I posted it. I sincerely hope you enjoy
- it's long overdue for you to be able to see what happens
next.
DISLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha.
******************************
Kagome awoke with a gasp. Mid-morning sunlight filtered through her
half-open blinds, blinding her eyes and adding to her
disorientation. She squeezed her eyes shut and started to reach for
the cord to close the blinds completely, only to discover her hand
was buried in her panties. She would have rolled her eyes if it
weren't so damn bright in her room and she could have opened them
to begin with. `That explains my heart racing,' she realized
as understanding hit her sleep-fuzzed brain like a bucket of
water.
Groaning out of frustration, she disentangled herself and reached for a tissue from her nightstand. She had dreamt of the hanyou again, leaving her body thrumming with need and impatience. For half a second, she considered finishing herself off, but she'd been doing enough of that lately to lock her fingers up. She could just imagine her cello instructor's face when she explained that one to him. “I'm sorry, Doc, but I haven't practiced much lately because I've fingered myself one too many times while fantasizing about my insanely hot boyfriend. Oh, but don't worry. We'll eventually be fucking for real, and then I won't have to do it myself as much. You can stamp `SLUT' on my forehead whenever you're ready.”
Kagome used the tissue to clean her hand, then tossed it and rolled onto her stomach, burying her face in her pillow and willing her body to calm down. These dreams had been happening a lot lately, especially ever since she and Inuyasha had begun exploring each other's bodies. It had all started almost two weeks ago when Inuyasha had brought her to orgasm on her own sofa using those wickedly talented fingers of his. It was the first time she had ever let a man touch her so intimately, and the memory of it was burned onto her hard drive, never to be erased. She couldn't have possibly imagined an orgasm being so intense, far surpassing anything she had ever done for herself. More than once over the past couple of weeks, the question of how he could be so good at manipulating the female body had seeped uninvited into her brain (`How did he know how to do it without hurting me with his claws?'), but she tried not to think about that. She knew Inuyasha was not inexperienced, and any estimations as to the degree of that experience was always enough to make her newly developed jealous streak run amok, and that wasn't good for anybody.
Regardless, she was well aware that he knew much more than she did, and he had been all too happy to tutor her when she shyly expressed her interest in learning how to return the favor of the pleasure he'd given her. Of course, she'd done her own share of “research” over the years, but Google and free porn only provided so much material, and she quickly realized, as Inuyasha showed her the correct pressure to apply with her fingers and how to stroke it without chafing, that no amount of videos and sex blogs could have prepared her for the real thing. Which was huge, by the way.
But the rush of pride she'd felt when his eyes glazed over had been a new thrill she hadn't expected, and before she knew it, she was kissing him and pulling his hand toward her shorts again, eager for more of his touch. It had been hard to concentrate with his tongue dueling with hers and the pad of his finger expertly strumming her to climax, but she had managed to finish him off at nearly the same time, sending her thoughts in every direction as they writhed and jerked together, almost as one. And in the afterglow of their mutual orgasms, as they lay sprawled on his couch with their hands still on each other, breathing heavily into each other's skin, Kagome had learned a new level of intimacy she had never imagined. She had possessively held onto his softening penis for several minutes, watching it slowly wilt in her hand in the late afternoon sunlight filtering through his blinds, with her head resting against his bare chest, listening to the THUMP-THUMP-THUMP of his pounding heart slow as his breathing evened out, and wondered at the closeness she and Inuyasha had achieved in such a short time.
“That… was amazing,” he'd said after an age, tenderly kissing the crown of her head. “But can you let go of me now? It's kind of sensitive.”
She had dropped him like a hot potato. “Sorry!” she'd blurted, heat rising in her cheeks for an altogether different reason from before.
“It's okay,” he'd assured her, gently pulling his hand from her shorts and kissing her lips softly, sweetly. “Thank you,” he'd whispered, kissing her again before pulling away, smiling at her sudden shyness. He'd grabbed his shirt from the coffee table and wiped his chiseled stomach, handing her a box of tissues for her hand. “You sure you'd never done that before?” he'd asked teasingly, his joke apparent in his smile. “Because you're pretty damn good at it.”
She'd blushed profusely. “I had a good teacher,” she'd offered, smiling in spite of herself as she wiped the remnants of his release from her fingers. A thought had occurred to her then, and she'd spoken without thinking, curiosity getting the better of her. “I guess we wouldn't have to clean this up if you came in my mouth.”
Inuyasha had frozen, his eyes going wide. “I… I didn't think you'd want to.”
She'd smiled again, feeling like she had the upper hand for once. “Well, maybe next time, then,” she'd said offhandedly, standing to zip her shorts back up, enjoying his stupefied expression. “Unless you're not into that sort of thing, of course.”
She hadn't made it two steps toward the bathroom before she was yanked back against his bare chest, giggling at his predictability as her arms were pinned to her sides. “Don't promise things you aren't willing to deliver, wench. It isn't nice to tease a man,” he'd growled into her ear.
“Well, I am still learning,” she'd breathed, enjoying his lips tickling the skin behind her ear.
He'd stopped suddenly and turned her in his arms, his face serious. She'd frowned at the sudden turn their mood had taken, but waited for him to speak. He'd searched her face for a moment, looking vulnerable and unsure of himself, and then asked “Why me?” And she'd known exactly what he meant.
Her mouth had opened to answer, but she found she didn't have the words. How to explain to a man that he had awoken something in her she hadn't even known to exist? That no other man she'd ever dated had come close to meaning to her what he did? That her body came alive when he was near her, like it had with no other? She had stared into his deep bronze eyes and shaken her head helplessly, her mouth still open, not knowing what to say.
It was apparently not the wrong response, because he had kissed her suddenly, fiercely, and any further thought she might have given to his question went straight out the window as they fell right back down to the couch and his lips made their way feverishly down her neck….
The buzzing of Kagome's cell phone pulled her from her daydream, and she growled as the delicious memory fizzled away. “Can't catch a break,” she grumbled to herself as she reached for her phone, yanking the charging cord out of the port. She blinked at the screen, her mind momentarily fogging. `Aunt Tomoko?' Sexual frustration forgotten, she threw her blankets off and sat up straight. “Hello?”
“Kagome! How are you, dear?”
She smiled genuinely, her body finally cooling off from her exciting morning. “Hi, Oba-chan. I'm fine, and you?”
“Oh, we're just fine. I'm hoping I can talk you into joining us for dinner tonight? It'd been so long, my dear.”
Kagome winced as guilt stabbed through her. It was Saturday, and the football team was away this week, so that meant Miroku and Sango were probably having dinner with her parents tonight. Kagome used to go whenever Sango did, but she'd gotten out of the habit. “I know, I'm sorry. I've… been busy, I guess,” she explained lamely.
“We'd love to see you again, if you're free. Won't you please come tonight?”
She found herself looking for an excuse not to go, but not really sure why. She'd last seen her uncle when he took her and Sango to lunch and bought Kagome's gown for the charity ball, which had only been three weeks ago. It had been much longer since she'd seen her aunt, however, and she did miss her. “Yes, I'll be there,” she promised.
“Wonderful! We can't wait to see you again, Kagome. You know you'll always have a place at our table. Oh, and bring your hanyou along, too, won't you? We've heard so much about him, and I'd love to put a face to his name.”
Her smile dropped, an irrational panic seizing her. They wanted to meet Inuyasha? “Uhhh….”
“See you both tonight, dear!”
Kagome stared at nothing, her phone still to her ear even after her aunt had hung up. “Ummm….”
There was a quick knock at her bedroom door before it opened. “Was that my mom?” Sango asked without preamble.
Kagome looked up at her cousin, feeling shell-shocked at the enormity of bringing a boyfriend home to meet her family. “Yeah?” she slowly replied.
Sango smiled. “She told you to bring Inuyasha to dinner, right? Yeah, she's been wanting to meet the man who finally stole your heart, as Miroku likes to put it. I think Miroku has been looking forward to this meeting because it will take some of the attention off of him from Otou-san.”
What was she babbling about? Kagome could barely hear her past the blood rushing in her ears. “Uhhh….”
“I'm making breakfast. You want some?” she offered, then left without waiting for her answer, leaving the bedroom door open.
Kagome stared at the door, a mild horror settling in her stomach. “Ummm….”
***
“Okay, Inuyasha, so here's what you need to keep in mind about the old man.”
“Miroku! Don't call my father that!”
“I'm sorry, Love. Inuyasha, here's what you need to keep in mind about the fire-breathing dragon.”
“Miroku! What did I just say?”
Inuyasha tried to smile at the antics in the back seat of his Benz as he crossed over the bridge, but in all honesty, he was nervous. This was going to be the first of Kagome's family he met--other than her bat-shit-crazy cousin--and if what Miroku said was true, Sango's father was a man not to be tested. And judging from Kagome's nervousness when she invited him, he might be in for one hell of an exciting night, though this was not the type of excitement he had been looking for.
“Don't listen to the hentai, Yasha,” Sango said, meeting his eyes in the rear-view mirror. “He's really not that bad. He just takes the role of paterfamilias very seriously.”
“More like paterfadickus,” Miroku grumbled.
Inuyasha chuckled again, and stole another glance at the passenger seat's occupant. Kagome had been strangely quiet since he'd picked them up, other than a quick hello and peck on the cheek. Her behavior wasn't helping his nerves, but he stuck his chest out and told himself he had no reason to fear this man, Sango's father. Honestly, what could the man do to him?
`He could tell you you're not good enough for his niece and forbid you from seeing her again like he tried to do with Miroku,' his conscience whispered in his mind.
`Feh. Fat chance of that working with me, either, old man.'
“If he's looking right at you, but not talking, then watch what you say and do,” Miroku was saying, probably thinking he was being helpful. “That means he has you under the microscope, and trust me, he'll judge every single word you say and move you make. But if you keep him talking, then you're probably okay. I've realized he can't really do two things at once, so if he's talking, then you're not being examined too closely.”
“Miroku!” Sango shrieked, her patience wearing thin.
“Don't get any of his blood on my seats back there, Sango,” Inuyasha threatened, signaling for the freeway exit. “If you spill it, you clean it.”
“No blood yet,” she gritted through her teeth. “But if you don't stop insulting my father, Miroku, he's going to be the least of your worries tonight.”
“Hey, I'm just being honest,” he argued, holding his hands up in defense. “That man is downright terrifying, Sango. I put up with him because I love you, but if I had a choice in the matter, he wouldn't be part of the package.”
“Package?” she asked in disbelief. “So I'm a package now?”
“Yes, Love,” he said, his voice dropping to a sensual groan. “My sweet little package. My hot, tight, wet little package--"
“Knock it off, you two!” Kagome piped up, keeping her eyes resolutely forward. “Let's keep this car ride PG-rated, if you don't mind!”
“Agreed,” Inuyasha grumbled, though more out of his own frustration than anything else. He'd be damned if his car was going to be christened by Kagome's cousin and the Hentai from Sacramento. He peeked in the mirror again and was relieved to see them simply holding hands, wearing twin mischievous smirks. Grunting, he turned his eyes back to the road and resisted the urge to shift in his seat. He and Kagome had been fooling around a bit, it was true, and he was grateful for what she had been willing to do so far, but it barely served to take the edge off of his need for her. The woman was driving him crazy, and knowing she was a virgin made it even worse, which made him feel like a class-A shit who was just driven by primal instincts. He was better than that, dammit!
She's ripe for the taking….
`Yeah, that's not helping!' he growled to himself, glancing at her again, noticing she was watching him. Clenching his jaw, he managed a smile for her and reached for her hand, relieved when she took it and smiled back. `I will be honorable,' he promised her silently, squeezing her hand. `I can wait until you're ready. I just hope it's not too long….'
As if she had heard him, she squeezed back, looking happy and relaxed.
Returning his attention to the road again, he regretfully released her hand to downshift at a red light. He was determined to keep his patience in check, for her sake. He'd need an iron will to battle the desires of the iron rod in his pants, but he could do it. He would do it. But seeing the two people currently occupying his backseat constantly with their hands all over each other and hearing all of their innuendos was not making it any easier.
Speaking of which…. “Oi, Sango, where the hell am I going?” he asked, his voice rougher than he meant it to be.
“Keep going straight. You'll go all the way the end, then turn left on River Road.”
“And from there, you'll follow the road all the way around into Rich People Neighborhood, Louisiana,” Miroku said, a touch of bitterness in his voice.
Inuyasha winced, but ignored Miroku's implication. “Got it,” he said, feeling his nerves start up again. `I have nothing to fear from this family,' he told himself, watching an old woman inch across the crosswalk in front of him. `I have nothing to fear from this family. I have nothing to fear from overbearing bass drummers or the fathers who raise them.'
“It'll be fine,” Kagome said softly, catching his eye and smiling bravely. He wasn't sure if she was trying to convince him or herself, but he grinned, too, hoping to convey his own bravado. “Sango's right. He's really not so bad. Just….” She bit her lip, betraying her confidence. “Just be sure you speak respectfully to him.”
“Feh! I know how to talk to people,” he said, but made a note of her advice anyway.
“And remember,” Miroku spoke up again, “if you see smoke coming out of his nostrils, be ready to run, because he's getting ready to shoot dragon fire at you. He'll fry you alive and present your crispy remains as Cajun pâté at his next garden party.”
“Dammit, Miroku! I fucking warned you!”
“Ow! Fuck, Sango, easy on the scalp!”
***
Tomoko raised her glass of chilled tea, smiling happily at the guests gathered around her large dining table. “To family and new friends,” she toasted.
Everyone returned the sentiment and drank, and she sipped from her own tea before setting it back down. “Yuu and I are so happy you all made it here tonight. Please, everyone dig in,” she offered, indicating the pots of steaming food. “It's not the typical time of year for oden, but I know it's your favorite, Kagome, and I thought you might be missing food from home,” she said hopefully.
Kagome smiled brightly, helping herself to a large serving. “Thank you, Oba-chan. It smells wonderful!”
“Yes, it certainly does,” Miroku chimed in, accepting a scoop of rice from Sango. “You make a fine oden, Ms. Higurashi.” He cast a nervous glance at the man at the head of the table, probably second-guessing his wording.
She smiled at the poor boy, taking pity on him. “Thank you, Miroku. And I've told you, please, call me Tomoko,” she replied sincerely, purposefully avoiding the irritated glance of her husband.
“So when are you going to make my favorite dinner, Okaa-san?” Kohaku asked mischievously, smiling as he dished out a heaping bowl for himself.
Sango snorted at her younger brother as she blew on a steaming fishcake. “Maybe she would if you didn't already just eat anything put in front of you, you big pig! You'd better not stop lifting, or you're gonna blow up like the Pillsbury Doughboy!” She laughed at his rolling eyes and took a bite, and closed her eyes. “Mmm, Okaa-san, this is great! You haven't made this in years. I'd forgotten how much I loved it.”
Tomoko blushed under the praise, so pleased to see her children happy. It hadn't been easy to get all of the necessary ingredients, and she'd had to make a couple of substitutions, but if anybody noticed, they were too polite to mention it. She turned her attention to the newcomer, noticing he was quietly observing the banter and slowly eating. Determined to learn more about Kagome's new beau, she sipped her broth and delicately wiped her mouth. “Inuyasha, I understand you're from Tokyo. When did you move here?”
His eyes went wide as he realized the attention was on him, and he glanced at Kagome, who gave him an encouraging nod. “July,” he said finally, the barest hint of nervousness evident in his voice. “Mid-July,” he clarified.
She nodded thoughtfully, fishing a radish out of her bowl. “So you've only lived here a couple of months. How do you like it so far?”
He seemed to think about his answer before replying. “It's nice. I like the food,” he said, glancing at Kagome again, who smiled fondly. He smiled, too, looking into her eyes, and Tomoko got the impression they were sharing an inside joke. It made her smile as well, so happy for her niece.
“So how long have you two been dating?” Kohaku asked abruptly, shoveling a large bite into his mouth.
“A few weeks,” Kagome answered, pausing to take a sip of tea.
“Officially, a few weeks,” Sango clarified, a knowing twinkle in her eye. “But they've been hot for each other longer than that.”
Tomoko suppressed a smile at the twin scowls directed at her daughter from the couple in question. “Well, that's typically the case, I suppose,” she said, watching Kagome's face turn the color of beets. “It would be odd to date someone you weren't attracted to.”
Inuyasha's ear twitched as he caught Tomoko's eye, and she took it for a sign of embarrassment, but the small smile he offered told her he approved of her assessment. She smiled back at him, already deciding she liked him, and sent a silent “thank you” to the Kami for bringing him into his niece's life. `Goodness knows she deserves some happiness,' she thought, taking a bite of hard-boiled egg.
“Well, you'd better treat her right,” Kohaku threatened good-naturedly, wiping his mouth with his napkin. “She's my only cousin. I'd hate to have to whoop up on you.”
Kagome choked on her tea, giving him an incredulous look through watery eyes as she coughed. Inuyasha rubbed her back soothingly, familiarly even, as he smirked at the teenager. “Feh. Something tells me I don't need to worry too much about you, kid. What are you, about a buck-twenty?”
Tomoko smiled again at the good-natured ribbing, but came to the defense of her son. “Watch yourself, Inuyasha,” she warned teasingly. “Kohaku is captain of the wrestling team at his high school. He's much stronger than he looks.”
“That's right,” Kohaku said, puffing out his chest. “And my specialty is taking down fast talkers such as yourself.”
“Wrestling is for chumps and fat actors,” Inuyasha quipped.
“Says the band geek,” Kohaku shot back, smiling.
“Hey, watch it!” Sango jumped in, pointing a threatening finger at her brother. “Your sister is a so-called band geek, and I can still take you down, captain or no captain!”
“I'd like to see you try, onee-chan!”
“Enough horsing around at the dinner table,” Yuu snapped, calling an abrupt halt to the lively conversation.
Tomoko frowned at her husband amid the sudden, awkward silence. `Honestly!'
Yuu saw her look, and his face softened. “I just mean, a little quieter,” he amended grumpily, picking up his glass to hide his contrition.
She looked across the table again, noticing both Miroku's and Inuyasha's faces had gone white. Even the girls and Kohaku seemed glum, and Tomoko wanted to smack her husband for his outburst. `I can fix this,' she decided, and sat up a little straighter. “Kagome, dear, tell me about how you and Inuyasha met.”
Tossing a glance in the direction of her grouchy uncle, Kagome blushed again as Inuyasha sat back and smirked, waiting for her to answer. “He transferred here this semester,” she began unsurely, meeting the hanyou's eyes with a small smile. “He's on the snare line, and I ended up being his cymbal in Tiger Band. He thinks he's God's gift to music, incidentally.”
“Feh,” he snorted. “I don't know about that, but I can hold my own.”
“What he doesn't lack is ego,” Sango butted in, smirking haughtily.
“Or a colorful vocabulary,” Kagome added.
“Or a certain way with women, especially those of the cello-playing variety,” Miroku said.
“Hey!” Inuyasha snapped, glaring at his laughing friends. “I didn't realize this was a roast! When is it my turn?”
Tomoko laughed at their antics, shaking her head. “Sounds like a normal musician to me,” she said.
Everyone shared a laugh at his expense, but she could see the grin hiding beneath his scowl. She glanced at her husband, thankful he was keeping quiet this time.
“He's really not so bad,” Kagome finally conceded with a final chuckle.
“So let's hear something nice about him,” Tomoko challenged her, picking up her chopsticks again. “Is there anything else he does well?”
Kagome blushed suddenly, and judging by the hanyou's cocky smirk, she figured she must have touched on something personal. She would have laughed if she were cruel. “Umm,” Kagome started, playing with the ends of her napkin. “He… he makes good coffee?”
`Coffee? Is that what the kids are calling it these days?' she thought, giggling to herself.
Inuyasha appeared to reach for Kagome's hand under the table, and they shared another private smile. But his ear twitched again and he turned and looked at Yuu, who was openly and shrewdly observing him. He seemed nervous under the scrutiny, but his lips thinned and he met his stare confidently, and Tomoko got the impression there was a non-verbal communication passing between the two men; a challenge, maybe? Miroku was watching as well, his eyes wide but calm as he observed the face-off.
The others didn't seem to notice, as Kagome reached for a dumpling. “I still need to take him to Coffee Call. He hasn't had any beignets yet, and I know he'll like them.”
“Who doesn't?” Sango asked, stealing a fishcake from Kohaku's bowl.
“Watch it, sis,” he warned, his eyes narrowed playfully.
“I've enjoyed everything she's shown me so far,” Inuyasha suddenly said, his eyes still trained on the man at the head of the table.
Her husband's eyes narrowed. “Everything?” he asked, his voice low.
`Uh oh,' she thought, her eyes darting back and forth between them. `You're playing with fire, son.'
“So far,” Inuyasha replied, his hand still clearly holding Kagome's beneath the table. “She's been very accommodating. Of course, I've been able to show her a few new things, too.”
All activity came to a halt as everyone became suddenly aware of the tension in the room. Sango, Kohaku, and Miroku stared at Inuyasha as if he had grown a third head. Kagome appeared to be in the beginning stages of a coronary.
“Such as?” Yuu snarled.
Inuyasha seemed to hesitate then, perhaps losing some of his bravado. It might have had something to do with his arm jerking down just then as Kagome tried to get his attention, and although his eyes never left those of Yuu, his cockiness faltered, and he appeared to consider his next words.
`Please,' Tomoko silently pleaded, holding her breath.
He huffed then, and averted his eyes respectfully. “Just a few tips on cymbals,” he said finally, sounding irritated at having to stand down.
A collective sigh of relief sounded around the table, and Tomoko made a note to speak with Kagome later to make sure she had something lined up for birth control. `It won't be long now, if it hasn't happened already.'
“Hmph,” Yuu grunted, clearly not buying it. He seemed about to say something else, but Tomoko ground her heel into his toe and gave him a hard look. He winced and glared at her, and they had their own non-verbal conversation. `Don't even think about it!' she threatened silently.
His hard eyes spoke of his disapproval, but he kept his mouth shut for once, jutting his chin out in a juvenile pout. Satisfied he wouldn't drive their dinner guests away, she nodded once and picked up her glass. “I'm sure Kagome appreciates the advice you've given her, Inuyasha,” she said. “She's always looking to improve in her music, even if it isn't on the cello.”
Inuyasha stared at her, probably trying to gauge her sincerity. She offered a small smile and sipped her tea, noticing Kagome was watching her as well. He must have decided she was trustworthy, because he eventually smiled back, a small blush spreading across his nose. “Keh,” he simply said. And that was that.
Dinner passed rather uneventfully after that, with the exception of a few more stolen bites between her children and some googly eyes between Inuyasha and Kagome. Any awkwardness remaining from earlier dissipated as the meal went on, and she found herself sighing with relief as she finished her rice.
“Well!” Sango said, folding her napkin next to her empty bowl. “That was a great dinner, Okaa-san. Thank you so much.”
“Entertaining, too!” Kohaku added mischievously, earning a kick under the table from his sister.
Tomoko smiled, rising to her feet. “Thank you, dear. I have some peach cobbler if anyone would like some. Inuyasha, perhaps you could make the coffee? Since you're so good at it,” she added with a wink.
She had to fight to keep a straight face at the matching red faces he and Kagome sported after her request. Shaking her head, she smiled as she went back to the kitchen.
A half-hour later, the boys had finished over half of the cobbler while Kagome and Sango were content with coffee, which really was quite good, to Inuyasha's credit. Kohaku was on his third bowl of dessert when Yuu decided he'd had enough company and excused himself to his study. Everyone seemed to relax a little more once he was out of the room, which gave Tomoko mixed feelings, but she kept them to herself.
“You'll have to tell me how you fixed the coffee,” she said, sipping from the LSU mug Sango had gotten her during her freshmen year. “This is the same coffee I always buy, but it really does taste better. What is your secret?”
“A pinch of salt on the grinds, brewed strong,” Inuyasha admitted. He licked his spoon clean and pushed his bowl away, declaring himself full. “It was a trick I learned from my old ma- er, my father,” he corrected, glancing at her nervously.
She waved her hand dismissively. “No need to be so formal with me, Inuyasha. If I ever meet your father, I'll be sure to let him know you were nothing but respectful on our first meeting.”
His eyes clouded then, looking pained, and she frowned as she set her mug down on the table. She'd touched on something again, apparently, and she had a feeling it was unpleasant.
“My father's dead,” he suddenly said, confirming her suspicions.
Everybody's heads shot up at that announcement, and Kagome brought a hand to her mouth. `This is news for everyone,' Tomoko realized, watching her niece's eyes water as she put a hand on Inuyasha's shoulder. “I'm so sorry,” she said, watching his back go rigid and making a note to tread carefully. “Was it recent?” she gently asked.
His lips tightened as he kept his eyes down, pausing a moment. “June.”
`Right before he moved here,' she realized, her thoughts racing. `There is more to this story.'
“Inuyasha,” Kagome whispered, her cheeks wet.
He reached up and grasped her hand on his shoulder, squeezing it without looking at her. “It's fine,” he said, though his eyes said differently.
The awkwardness from earlier was nothing compared to now. She noticed Kohaku fidgeting in his seat a bit before finally standing up. “Excuse me,” he simply said, and left the room, his dessert left forgotten on the table. The boy had never really had to deal with death before, and he clearly wasn't sure on how to act. But then really, was anyone?
Sango looked down at her cooling coffee, her hands in her lap. “I'm sorry, Inuyasha,” she said, her own eyes misty.
“It's fine,” he repeated brusquely. His chair scraped across the floor as he abruptly stood, letting Kagome's hand drop from his shoulder. “I'll be back,” he muttered, and quickly walked out, toward the living room and beyond. Tomoko watched him go, embarrassed for her faux pas, but took some relief in the fact that at least he wasn't leaving the house.
Miroku cleared his throat, setting his bowl aside. “Well, this certainly explains a few things,” he said softly, looking at Sango.
She nodded. “I had no idea,” she admitted. “But it does make sense. A few of the comments he's made.”
Tomoko reached across for Kagome's hand. “You didn't know?” she asked.
She shook her head silently, wiping her eyes with her free hand.
“That's a little odd, don't you think?” Sango said, furrowing her brow as she looked at Miroku. “You told me about your father on what? Our second or third date?”
He nodded thoughtfully, scratching his chin. “Everyone deals with these things differently, my love. And we don't know the circumstances in which Inuyasha's father passed. It may have been traumatic.”
Kagome flinched noticeably then, and Tomoko wanted to hug the girl. Especially traumatic deaths was another topic her niece knew well.
“Does he know your father died, too, Kagome?” Sango asked.
“It hasn't exactly come up,” Kagome muttered.
Miroku chuckled humorlessly, shaking his head. “What are we, the Dead Dads Club?”
Tomoko frowned, thinking it a crass comment to make, but it actually brought a smile out of Kagome. Sango looked scandalized as well, but then again, maybe she wouldn't understand.
“We're still getting to know each other,” Kagome said after a while, wiping the last of the tears from her eyes. “I'm sure he would have told me eventually. Maybe….” She trailed off unconvincingly, lost in thought.
Sango nodded. “These things take time. You two will get there. The good ones always do, sooner or later.”
“The good what?” Kagome asked.
Sango grinned knowingly. “The good couples. The ones who are so obviously right for each other. They'll always find a way to work it out.”
Tomoko smiled, approving of her daughter's assessment. `She's growing up,' she thought sentimentally.
“Well, I'm glad to hear you think we're a good couple now,” Kagome drawled. “Two weeks ago, you had a pretty different opinion.”
“No, I always thought you were right for each other. I just thought your timing sucked.”
“Sango!” Tomoko exclaimed, thinking maybe she wasn't so grown up after all.
She had the good grace to blush. “Sorry, Okaa-san.”
“Speaking of bad timing,” Inuyasha said, breezing back into the room. “There's a band of thunderstorms heading this way that I really don't feel like driving through, so unless we're staying the night, we should probably head out soon.”
“Inuyasha!” Kagome jumped to her feet and ran to him, hugging his waist. He put his arm around her shoulders, squeezing comfortingly, but otherwise looked rather stony-faced.
“Were you checking the weather?” Miroku asked skeptically, scooting back in his chair.
“Nah, Mr. Higurashi told me,” he replied.
That was met with a moment of stunned silence as everyone stared at him in confusion. He shrugged it off. “I went to apologize to him. For dinner,” he added meaningfully.
Tomoko blinked, pleasantly surprised that he took the high road. For not the first time tonight, she smiled at him and thanked the Kami for delivering this man, this hanyou to Kagome. `He may be just what she needs,' she thought, watching them hold each other. `Then again, she may be what he needs as well.'
“Well, let's get going,” Sango decided, rising with her and Kagome's coffee cups in hand. “I'd rather be at home when the storms hit, too, if possible.”
Tomoko stood as well, leaving the rest of the dishes for Kohaku to gather later. “I'm so glad you all could make it,” she said genuinely. “Especially you, Kagome. Don't let it be so long until you come again, please. We miss you.”
Kagome pulled away from Inuyasha to embrace her aunt. “I won't, Oba-chan. And thank you.”
“What are we, chopped liver?” Miroku quipped teasingly.
Tomoko laughed, pulling him into a hug as well. “You're expected, my boy, to be here whenever you can make it,” she stressed, squeezing his shoulders, then lowered her voice for his ears only. “You make my daughter very happy. That's good enough for me. Don't worry too much about my husband; he will come around.”
Miroku pulled back just enough to gape at her, stunned. “Th-thank you… Okaa-san,” he added quietly, a slight twinkle in his eye.
She beamed at him. `I knew it!' “Be sure to speak with him first, however, before you ask any important questions,” she advised seriously.
He nodded, smiling brightly. She gave him another hug and let him go just as Sango returned from the kitchen, eyeing her questioningly. She merely winked at her daughter and gave him a light push in her direction. “Drive safely going back,” she said, watching them all head toward the door.
Sango stopped to give her a quick hug. “Thank you, Okaa-san. Say good-bye to Otou-san and Kohaku for me.”
“I will, dear.”
Inuyasha's ear twitched again. “Thank you for inviting me, Mrs. Higurashi,” he said, probably a bit more formally than he was accustomed to.
She smiled wistfully. “Call me Tomoko, and it was my pleasure. You're welcome to come anytime as well. Maybe you can be the one to make sure I see my niece more often!”
He grinned, one canine peeking out. “Maybe. Thanks again.”
As the kids headed outside, she saw Kagome put a hand on his arm, speaking quietly. “Why didn't you tell me?”
“Not now, Kagome,” he growled back, prompting her to drop her hand.
Tomoko frowned at the exchange, but resolved not to meddle. There was definitely something more to that story, and she could only hope Kagome could help him cope with what was so obviously tormenting him. The two clearly had something special, and she would hate to see it fail because of something from his past.
She stood in the doorway and watched as they all piled into Inuyasha's expensive-looking car, sending up a quick prayer that they made it home safely. Kagome looked subdued as she buckled her seatbelt, and her heart clenched a bit for her niece, but once again, she told herself all would be well. `But maybe I'll check in with her in a few days….'
They all waved as they pulled away, heading down the drive into the nearly empty street. She waved back, watching them leave, and looked to the horizon over the trees, noticing a flash of lightning in the far distance. “Storm's coming,” she mumbled to herself, and stepped back to shut the door.
***
Kouga stared at his computer screen, the words blurred and indecipherable to his bleary eyes. It was Monday, nearly 10 AM, and he was on his fourth latte of the day as he struggled for some type of productivity on this, the third week after Kagome emphatically kicked him out of her life. He was still struggling to fit the reality of his newfound single status into his daily routine, and the fact that they were still friends on Facebook wasn't helping. She didn't get on it much anymore, as he knew, and he had been ashamedly using that fact to do a little cyber snooping over the past couple of weeks.
`Speaking of which….' He put down venti Starbucks cup and opened his web browser, tapping on the keyboard. Once the website loaded, he clicked on his profile where, as of yesterday, it said he was still in a relationship with Kagome Higurashi. `I'm fucking pathetic,' he berated himself, watching his profile page blink into existence. Under his picture--one of him and Kagome at a crawfish boil last spring--he read his basic info:
Kouga Watanabe
Marketing Director at Blue Waters Publishing House
Studied Business Administration at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Lives in New Orleans, Louisiana
From Chicago, Illinois
In a relationship
He blinked at the words, reading them again. In a relationship. Where was Kagome's name? Unless….
His chest tightened. She did it. She logged in and deleted their relationship, as if it had never existed. He ground his teeth together, feeling more pathetic than ever. `It was already over, you idiot. Don't take Facebook so seriously. You're not a fucking preteen, for Christ's sake.'
Shaking his head, another thought occurred to him, and he typed her name into the search field, hesitating a moment before finally hitting Enter. A half-second later, Kagome's profile filled his computer screen. He scanned below the profile picture of her posing with her cello in concert black:
Kagome Higurashi
Lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
From Kyoto, Japan
…and that was it. He scrolled down, but the only other information he saw was her cover photo, which was simply a panoramic of Tiger Stadium. She'd removed him from her friends list as well.
He flopped back in his chair, staring at the screen. So, that was it, wasn't it? She'd made it official on social media and cut him out of her life for good. Once again he chastised himself for looking to Facebook for confirmation, but there was a shred of validity to it, after all, in this day and age. It was out there for the world to see now. And a small part of him hated her for it.
Feeling numb, he struggled to sit up again, and slowly typed in Miroku's name, grasping for straws. Not surprised to see similar results on his page, he slouched even more and tried Sango. He raised an eyebrow when her profile came up, not because she had forgotten to unfriend him--which she hadn't--but because much of her profile was viewable to the public. Interesting.
Feeling more like scum by the minute, Kouga scrolled down, searching for any posts tagged with his ex. He skimmed through the various pictures of Sango and Miroku, posts about the football team, and shared memes, but eventually, one photo caught his eye. It was dated over a week ago, on Saturday at 11:53 PM, and had a simple caption: “At Walk-Ons celebrating another W with Miroku and these two crazies!
It was Kagome and that rat bastard hanyou. He had his arms wrapped around her from behind, and her hands were gripping his wrists. His chin was resting on her shoulder. They were both looking at the camera, both looking brightly happy, if not a little glassy-eyed. Miroku's head was at the far left, a big, goofy smile on his face as he photo-bombed the pair, but Kouga barely saw him. He couldn't take his eyes off the happy couple and their intimate embrace.
There were comments, one from Miroku: “Got eem!”
A few others: “Aw, I love those guys!
“My second favorite couple! (Besides me and Mike of course!)”
“Those two are so cute it's gross!”
“Go Yasha! Finally got her lol”
“Does this mean he's not available, cuz damn!”
And to the last one, finally, a reply from Kagome: “Yes, he's all mine! :)”
Kouga stared at the words, feeling his chest constrict again. Yes, he's all mine! :)
Yes, he's all mine! :)
He distantly heard the sound of plastic breaking, and he looked down to see a long crack running down the length of his mouse under the pressure of his straining fingers. He stared at the broken mouse, his brain not really processing what his eyes were seeing. Yes, he's all mine! :)
“Kouga?”
He looked up at the sound of his name, noticing Jack Boudreaux, the Human Resources Manager, at his office door. “Yes?” he intoned robotically.
Jack frowned. “Is everything all right?” he asked.
“Yes,” he repeated, not really hearing him.
Jack nodded, still frowning. “I'm showing our new Director of Talent around and introducing her to the staff. She interviewed here a couple of weeks ago. I'm sure you saw the memo about her being brought on.”
Blinking out of his fog, Kouga rose from his chair, vaguely recalling the hubbub caused by some woman showing up in Sesshomaru's office for an interview, and the mild scene that resulted when he'd calmly referred to her as a lying bitch and demanded she leave. “Yes, I remember,” he said, doing his best to look professional. It wouldn't do for the boot to see him at anything but his best.
Jack stepped aside, allowing the woman to come into view. She was Japanese, and very pretty. Beautiful, even. His heart tinged again, being reminded of Kagome, and he bit back a curse.
“Ms. Yamamoto, this is Kouga Watanabe, our Director of Marketing. Your departments often work in tandem, so you'll get to know him well enough fairly soon, I bet.”
Ruby red lips widened in a purely sexual smile, and Kouga's groin clenched as he shook her hand, all too aware of how long it had been since he'd fucked a woman. The last thing he needed to do was get involved with a co-worker, but damn if this bitch wasn't already coming onto him. “A pleasure to meet you,” he managed to croak out.
“All mine,” she purred, her eyes twinkling as she looked him up and down.
Kouga's groin clenched again, but his heart clenched as well, reminding him he was on the rebound. He was hurting bad, but dammit, he needed to get fucking laid!
Yes, he's all mine! :)
“Kouga, your office is our last stop. Would you mind taking her to lunch? I normally would on her first day, but I have a meeting with our union rep that popped up, and I can't reschedule.”
Kouga nodded, a slow smile spreading across his face to match hers. “No problem, Jack. I'll take good care of her.”
“Thanks. Ms. Yamamoto, when you get back, stop by and we'll get your paperwork all set up.”
“I'll do that, Mr. Boudreaux,” she said, still looking at Kouga.
Once he left, Kouga grinned a little wider, though distantly wondering what her history with Sesshomaru was. Was this the ex-wife he'd mentioned? Her name had been Kagumi, or Kagose, or something like that, and Sess hadn't mentioned her last name. He shook his head of his distracting thoughts, realizing she was still eyeing him. “So. What would you like to do for lunch?” he asked leadingly.
She smiled suggestively. “I'm up for anything,” she replied, clasping her hands in front of her.
He nodded, having to forcibly stop himself from pulling her into his office and shutting the door. `Take it easy. No need to be sent to HR because I misread the new bitch's cues!' But she was giving him every opportunity to assume her intentions, and she really was beautiful. And her being Japanese reminded him of Kagome just enough to make him want to fuck her, which was a dangerous thought. He'd never been the one to want revenge sex, but….
Yes, he's all mine! :)
“Let's go,” he said, patting his pocket to make sure he had his keys. “I know a great little place we can go. I hope you like spicy food, Ms. Yamamoto,” he added, watching for her reaction.
“I love spicy,” she said, and smirked sinfully. “And please, call me Kikyou.”
Groaning out of frustration, she disentangled herself and reached for a tissue from her nightstand. She had dreamt of the hanyou again, leaving her body thrumming with need and impatience. For half a second, she considered finishing herself off, but she'd been doing enough of that lately to lock her fingers up. She could just imagine her cello instructor's face when she explained that one to him. “I'm sorry, Doc, but I haven't practiced much lately because I've fingered myself one too many times while fantasizing about my insanely hot boyfriend. Oh, but don't worry. We'll eventually be fucking for real, and then I won't have to do it myself as much. You can stamp `SLUT' on my forehead whenever you're ready.”
Kagome used the tissue to clean her hand, then tossed it and rolled onto her stomach, burying her face in her pillow and willing her body to calm down. These dreams had been happening a lot lately, especially ever since she and Inuyasha had begun exploring each other's bodies. It had all started almost two weeks ago when Inuyasha had brought her to orgasm on her own sofa using those wickedly talented fingers of his. It was the first time she had ever let a man touch her so intimately, and the memory of it was burned onto her hard drive, never to be erased. She couldn't have possibly imagined an orgasm being so intense, far surpassing anything she had ever done for herself. More than once over the past couple of weeks, the question of how he could be so good at manipulating the female body had seeped uninvited into her brain (`How did he know how to do it without hurting me with his claws?'), but she tried not to think about that. She knew Inuyasha was not inexperienced, and any estimations as to the degree of that experience was always enough to make her newly developed jealous streak run amok, and that wasn't good for anybody.
Regardless, she was well aware that he knew much more than she did, and he had been all too happy to tutor her when she shyly expressed her interest in learning how to return the favor of the pleasure he'd given her. Of course, she'd done her own share of “research” over the years, but Google and free porn only provided so much material, and she quickly realized, as Inuyasha showed her the correct pressure to apply with her fingers and how to stroke it without chafing, that no amount of videos and sex blogs could have prepared her for the real thing. Which was huge, by the way.
But the rush of pride she'd felt when his eyes glazed over had been a new thrill she hadn't expected, and before she knew it, she was kissing him and pulling his hand toward her shorts again, eager for more of his touch. It had been hard to concentrate with his tongue dueling with hers and the pad of his finger expertly strumming her to climax, but she had managed to finish him off at nearly the same time, sending her thoughts in every direction as they writhed and jerked together, almost as one. And in the afterglow of their mutual orgasms, as they lay sprawled on his couch with their hands still on each other, breathing heavily into each other's skin, Kagome had learned a new level of intimacy she had never imagined. She had possessively held onto his softening penis for several minutes, watching it slowly wilt in her hand in the late afternoon sunlight filtering through his blinds, with her head resting against his bare chest, listening to the THUMP-THUMP-THUMP of his pounding heart slow as his breathing evened out, and wondered at the closeness she and Inuyasha had achieved in such a short time.
“That… was amazing,” he'd said after an age, tenderly kissing the crown of her head. “But can you let go of me now? It's kind of sensitive.”
She had dropped him like a hot potato. “Sorry!” she'd blurted, heat rising in her cheeks for an altogether different reason from before.
“It's okay,” he'd assured her, gently pulling his hand from her shorts and kissing her lips softly, sweetly. “Thank you,” he'd whispered, kissing her again before pulling away, smiling at her sudden shyness. He'd grabbed his shirt from the coffee table and wiped his chiseled stomach, handing her a box of tissues for her hand. “You sure you'd never done that before?” he'd asked teasingly, his joke apparent in his smile. “Because you're pretty damn good at it.”
She'd blushed profusely. “I had a good teacher,” she'd offered, smiling in spite of herself as she wiped the remnants of his release from her fingers. A thought had occurred to her then, and she'd spoken without thinking, curiosity getting the better of her. “I guess we wouldn't have to clean this up if you came in my mouth.”
Inuyasha had frozen, his eyes going wide. “I… I didn't think you'd want to.”
She'd smiled again, feeling like she had the upper hand for once. “Well, maybe next time, then,” she'd said offhandedly, standing to zip her shorts back up, enjoying his stupefied expression. “Unless you're not into that sort of thing, of course.”
She hadn't made it two steps toward the bathroom before she was yanked back against his bare chest, giggling at his predictability as her arms were pinned to her sides. “Don't promise things you aren't willing to deliver, wench. It isn't nice to tease a man,” he'd growled into her ear.
“Well, I am still learning,” she'd breathed, enjoying his lips tickling the skin behind her ear.
He'd stopped suddenly and turned her in his arms, his face serious. She'd frowned at the sudden turn their mood had taken, but waited for him to speak. He'd searched her face for a moment, looking vulnerable and unsure of himself, and then asked “Why me?” And she'd known exactly what he meant.
Her mouth had opened to answer, but she found she didn't have the words. How to explain to a man that he had awoken something in her she hadn't even known to exist? That no other man she'd ever dated had come close to meaning to her what he did? That her body came alive when he was near her, like it had with no other? She had stared into his deep bronze eyes and shaken her head helplessly, her mouth still open, not knowing what to say.
It was apparently not the wrong response, because he had kissed her suddenly, fiercely, and any further thought she might have given to his question went straight out the window as they fell right back down to the couch and his lips made their way feverishly down her neck….
The buzzing of Kagome's cell phone pulled her from her daydream, and she growled as the delicious memory fizzled away. “Can't catch a break,” she grumbled to herself as she reached for her phone, yanking the charging cord out of the port. She blinked at the screen, her mind momentarily fogging. `Aunt Tomoko?' Sexual frustration forgotten, she threw her blankets off and sat up straight. “Hello?”
“Kagome! How are you, dear?”
She smiled genuinely, her body finally cooling off from her exciting morning. “Hi, Oba-chan. I'm fine, and you?”
“Oh, we're just fine. I'm hoping I can talk you into joining us for dinner tonight? It'd been so long, my dear.”
Kagome winced as guilt stabbed through her. It was Saturday, and the football team was away this week, so that meant Miroku and Sango were probably having dinner with her parents tonight. Kagome used to go whenever Sango did, but she'd gotten out of the habit. “I know, I'm sorry. I've… been busy, I guess,” she explained lamely.
“We'd love to see you again, if you're free. Won't you please come tonight?”
She found herself looking for an excuse not to go, but not really sure why. She'd last seen her uncle when he took her and Sango to lunch and bought Kagome's gown for the charity ball, which had only been three weeks ago. It had been much longer since she'd seen her aunt, however, and she did miss her. “Yes, I'll be there,” she promised.
“Wonderful! We can't wait to see you again, Kagome. You know you'll always have a place at our table. Oh, and bring your hanyou along, too, won't you? We've heard so much about him, and I'd love to put a face to his name.”
Her smile dropped, an irrational panic seizing her. They wanted to meet Inuyasha? “Uhhh….”
“See you both tonight, dear!”
Kagome stared at nothing, her phone still to her ear even after her aunt had hung up. “Ummm….”
There was a quick knock at her bedroom door before it opened. “Was that my mom?” Sango asked without preamble.
Kagome looked up at her cousin, feeling shell-shocked at the enormity of bringing a boyfriend home to meet her family. “Yeah?” she slowly replied.
Sango smiled. “She told you to bring Inuyasha to dinner, right? Yeah, she's been wanting to meet the man who finally stole your heart, as Miroku likes to put it. I think Miroku has been looking forward to this meeting because it will take some of the attention off of him from Otou-san.”
What was she babbling about? Kagome could barely hear her past the blood rushing in her ears. “Uhhh….”
“I'm making breakfast. You want some?” she offered, then left without waiting for her answer, leaving the bedroom door open.
Kagome stared at the door, a mild horror settling in her stomach. “Ummm….”
***
“Okay, Inuyasha, so here's what you need to keep in mind about the old man.”
“Miroku! Don't call my father that!”
“I'm sorry, Love. Inuyasha, here's what you need to keep in mind about the fire-breathing dragon.”
“Miroku! What did I just say?”
Inuyasha tried to smile at the antics in the back seat of his Benz as he crossed over the bridge, but in all honesty, he was nervous. This was going to be the first of Kagome's family he met--other than her bat-shit-crazy cousin--and if what Miroku said was true, Sango's father was a man not to be tested. And judging from Kagome's nervousness when she invited him, he might be in for one hell of an exciting night, though this was not the type of excitement he had been looking for.
“Don't listen to the hentai, Yasha,” Sango said, meeting his eyes in the rear-view mirror. “He's really not that bad. He just takes the role of paterfamilias very seriously.”
“More like paterfadickus,” Miroku grumbled.
Inuyasha chuckled again, and stole another glance at the passenger seat's occupant. Kagome had been strangely quiet since he'd picked them up, other than a quick hello and peck on the cheek. Her behavior wasn't helping his nerves, but he stuck his chest out and told himself he had no reason to fear this man, Sango's father. Honestly, what could the man do to him?
`He could tell you you're not good enough for his niece and forbid you from seeing her again like he tried to do with Miroku,' his conscience whispered in his mind.
`Feh. Fat chance of that working with me, either, old man.'
“If he's looking right at you, but not talking, then watch what you say and do,” Miroku was saying, probably thinking he was being helpful. “That means he has you under the microscope, and trust me, he'll judge every single word you say and move you make. But if you keep him talking, then you're probably okay. I've realized he can't really do two things at once, so if he's talking, then you're not being examined too closely.”
“Miroku!” Sango shrieked, her patience wearing thin.
“Don't get any of his blood on my seats back there, Sango,” Inuyasha threatened, signaling for the freeway exit. “If you spill it, you clean it.”
“No blood yet,” she gritted through her teeth. “But if you don't stop insulting my father, Miroku, he's going to be the least of your worries tonight.”
“Hey, I'm just being honest,” he argued, holding his hands up in defense. “That man is downright terrifying, Sango. I put up with him because I love you, but if I had a choice in the matter, he wouldn't be part of the package.”
“Package?” she asked in disbelief. “So I'm a package now?”
“Yes, Love,” he said, his voice dropping to a sensual groan. “My sweet little package. My hot, tight, wet little package--"
“Knock it off, you two!” Kagome piped up, keeping her eyes resolutely forward. “Let's keep this car ride PG-rated, if you don't mind!”
“Agreed,” Inuyasha grumbled, though more out of his own frustration than anything else. He'd be damned if his car was going to be christened by Kagome's cousin and the Hentai from Sacramento. He peeked in the mirror again and was relieved to see them simply holding hands, wearing twin mischievous smirks. Grunting, he turned his eyes back to the road and resisted the urge to shift in his seat. He and Kagome had been fooling around a bit, it was true, and he was grateful for what she had been willing to do so far, but it barely served to take the edge off of his need for her. The woman was driving him crazy, and knowing she was a virgin made it even worse, which made him feel like a class-A shit who was just driven by primal instincts. He was better than that, dammit!
She's ripe for the taking….
`Yeah, that's not helping!' he growled to himself, glancing at her again, noticing she was watching him. Clenching his jaw, he managed a smile for her and reached for her hand, relieved when she took it and smiled back. `I will be honorable,' he promised her silently, squeezing her hand. `I can wait until you're ready. I just hope it's not too long….'
As if she had heard him, she squeezed back, looking happy and relaxed.
Returning his attention to the road again, he regretfully released her hand to downshift at a red light. He was determined to keep his patience in check, for her sake. He'd need an iron will to battle the desires of the iron rod in his pants, but he could do it. He would do it. But seeing the two people currently occupying his backseat constantly with their hands all over each other and hearing all of their innuendos was not making it any easier.
Speaking of which…. “Oi, Sango, where the hell am I going?” he asked, his voice rougher than he meant it to be.
“Keep going straight. You'll go all the way the end, then turn left on River Road.”
“And from there, you'll follow the road all the way around into Rich People Neighborhood, Louisiana,” Miroku said, a touch of bitterness in his voice.
Inuyasha winced, but ignored Miroku's implication. “Got it,” he said, feeling his nerves start up again. `I have nothing to fear from this family,' he told himself, watching an old woman inch across the crosswalk in front of him. `I have nothing to fear from this family. I have nothing to fear from overbearing bass drummers or the fathers who raise them.'
“It'll be fine,” Kagome said softly, catching his eye and smiling bravely. He wasn't sure if she was trying to convince him or herself, but he grinned, too, hoping to convey his own bravado. “Sango's right. He's really not so bad. Just….” She bit her lip, betraying her confidence. “Just be sure you speak respectfully to him.”
“Feh! I know how to talk to people,” he said, but made a note of her advice anyway.
“And remember,” Miroku spoke up again, “if you see smoke coming out of his nostrils, be ready to run, because he's getting ready to shoot dragon fire at you. He'll fry you alive and present your crispy remains as Cajun pâté at his next garden party.”
“Dammit, Miroku! I fucking warned you!”
“Ow! Fuck, Sango, easy on the scalp!”
***
Tomoko raised her glass of chilled tea, smiling happily at the guests gathered around her large dining table. “To family and new friends,” she toasted.
Everyone returned the sentiment and drank, and she sipped from her own tea before setting it back down. “Yuu and I are so happy you all made it here tonight. Please, everyone dig in,” she offered, indicating the pots of steaming food. “It's not the typical time of year for oden, but I know it's your favorite, Kagome, and I thought you might be missing food from home,” she said hopefully.
Kagome smiled brightly, helping herself to a large serving. “Thank you, Oba-chan. It smells wonderful!”
“Yes, it certainly does,” Miroku chimed in, accepting a scoop of rice from Sango. “You make a fine oden, Ms. Higurashi.” He cast a nervous glance at the man at the head of the table, probably second-guessing his wording.
She smiled at the poor boy, taking pity on him. “Thank you, Miroku. And I've told you, please, call me Tomoko,” she replied sincerely, purposefully avoiding the irritated glance of her husband.
“So when are you going to make my favorite dinner, Okaa-san?” Kohaku asked mischievously, smiling as he dished out a heaping bowl for himself.
Sango snorted at her younger brother as she blew on a steaming fishcake. “Maybe she would if you didn't already just eat anything put in front of you, you big pig! You'd better not stop lifting, or you're gonna blow up like the Pillsbury Doughboy!” She laughed at his rolling eyes and took a bite, and closed her eyes. “Mmm, Okaa-san, this is great! You haven't made this in years. I'd forgotten how much I loved it.”
Tomoko blushed under the praise, so pleased to see her children happy. It hadn't been easy to get all of the necessary ingredients, and she'd had to make a couple of substitutions, but if anybody noticed, they were too polite to mention it. She turned her attention to the newcomer, noticing he was quietly observing the banter and slowly eating. Determined to learn more about Kagome's new beau, she sipped her broth and delicately wiped her mouth. “Inuyasha, I understand you're from Tokyo. When did you move here?”
His eyes went wide as he realized the attention was on him, and he glanced at Kagome, who gave him an encouraging nod. “July,” he said finally, the barest hint of nervousness evident in his voice. “Mid-July,” he clarified.
She nodded thoughtfully, fishing a radish out of her bowl. “So you've only lived here a couple of months. How do you like it so far?”
He seemed to think about his answer before replying. “It's nice. I like the food,” he said, glancing at Kagome again, who smiled fondly. He smiled, too, looking into her eyes, and Tomoko got the impression they were sharing an inside joke. It made her smile as well, so happy for her niece.
“So how long have you two been dating?” Kohaku asked abruptly, shoveling a large bite into his mouth.
“A few weeks,” Kagome answered, pausing to take a sip of tea.
“Officially, a few weeks,” Sango clarified, a knowing twinkle in her eye. “But they've been hot for each other longer than that.”
Tomoko suppressed a smile at the twin scowls directed at her daughter from the couple in question. “Well, that's typically the case, I suppose,” she said, watching Kagome's face turn the color of beets. “It would be odd to date someone you weren't attracted to.”
Inuyasha's ear twitched as he caught Tomoko's eye, and she took it for a sign of embarrassment, but the small smile he offered told her he approved of her assessment. She smiled back at him, already deciding she liked him, and sent a silent “thank you” to the Kami for bringing him into his niece's life. `Goodness knows she deserves some happiness,' she thought, taking a bite of hard-boiled egg.
“Well, you'd better treat her right,” Kohaku threatened good-naturedly, wiping his mouth with his napkin. “She's my only cousin. I'd hate to have to whoop up on you.”
Kagome choked on her tea, giving him an incredulous look through watery eyes as she coughed. Inuyasha rubbed her back soothingly, familiarly even, as he smirked at the teenager. “Feh. Something tells me I don't need to worry too much about you, kid. What are you, about a buck-twenty?”
Tomoko smiled again at the good-natured ribbing, but came to the defense of her son. “Watch yourself, Inuyasha,” she warned teasingly. “Kohaku is captain of the wrestling team at his high school. He's much stronger than he looks.”
“That's right,” Kohaku said, puffing out his chest. “And my specialty is taking down fast talkers such as yourself.”
“Wrestling is for chumps and fat actors,” Inuyasha quipped.
“Says the band geek,” Kohaku shot back, smiling.
“Hey, watch it!” Sango jumped in, pointing a threatening finger at her brother. “Your sister is a so-called band geek, and I can still take you down, captain or no captain!”
“I'd like to see you try, onee-chan!”
“Enough horsing around at the dinner table,” Yuu snapped, calling an abrupt halt to the lively conversation.
Tomoko frowned at her husband amid the sudden, awkward silence. `Honestly!'
Yuu saw her look, and his face softened. “I just mean, a little quieter,” he amended grumpily, picking up his glass to hide his contrition.
She looked across the table again, noticing both Miroku's and Inuyasha's faces had gone white. Even the girls and Kohaku seemed glum, and Tomoko wanted to smack her husband for his outburst. `I can fix this,' she decided, and sat up a little straighter. “Kagome, dear, tell me about how you and Inuyasha met.”
Tossing a glance in the direction of her grouchy uncle, Kagome blushed again as Inuyasha sat back and smirked, waiting for her to answer. “He transferred here this semester,” she began unsurely, meeting the hanyou's eyes with a small smile. “He's on the snare line, and I ended up being his cymbal in Tiger Band. He thinks he's God's gift to music, incidentally.”
“Feh,” he snorted. “I don't know about that, but I can hold my own.”
“What he doesn't lack is ego,” Sango butted in, smirking haughtily.
“Or a colorful vocabulary,” Kagome added.
“Or a certain way with women, especially those of the cello-playing variety,” Miroku said.
“Hey!” Inuyasha snapped, glaring at his laughing friends. “I didn't realize this was a roast! When is it my turn?”
Tomoko laughed at their antics, shaking her head. “Sounds like a normal musician to me,” she said.
Everyone shared a laugh at his expense, but she could see the grin hiding beneath his scowl. She glanced at her husband, thankful he was keeping quiet this time.
“He's really not so bad,” Kagome finally conceded with a final chuckle.
“So let's hear something nice about him,” Tomoko challenged her, picking up her chopsticks again. “Is there anything else he does well?”
Kagome blushed suddenly, and judging by the hanyou's cocky smirk, she figured she must have touched on something personal. She would have laughed if she were cruel. “Umm,” Kagome started, playing with the ends of her napkin. “He… he makes good coffee?”
`Coffee? Is that what the kids are calling it these days?' she thought, giggling to herself.
Inuyasha appeared to reach for Kagome's hand under the table, and they shared another private smile. But his ear twitched again and he turned and looked at Yuu, who was openly and shrewdly observing him. He seemed nervous under the scrutiny, but his lips thinned and he met his stare confidently, and Tomoko got the impression there was a non-verbal communication passing between the two men; a challenge, maybe? Miroku was watching as well, his eyes wide but calm as he observed the face-off.
The others didn't seem to notice, as Kagome reached for a dumpling. “I still need to take him to Coffee Call. He hasn't had any beignets yet, and I know he'll like them.”
“Who doesn't?” Sango asked, stealing a fishcake from Kohaku's bowl.
“Watch it, sis,” he warned, his eyes narrowed playfully.
“I've enjoyed everything she's shown me so far,” Inuyasha suddenly said, his eyes still trained on the man at the head of the table.
Her husband's eyes narrowed. “Everything?” he asked, his voice low.
`Uh oh,' she thought, her eyes darting back and forth between them. `You're playing with fire, son.'
“So far,” Inuyasha replied, his hand still clearly holding Kagome's beneath the table. “She's been very accommodating. Of course, I've been able to show her a few new things, too.”
All activity came to a halt as everyone became suddenly aware of the tension in the room. Sango, Kohaku, and Miroku stared at Inuyasha as if he had grown a third head. Kagome appeared to be in the beginning stages of a coronary.
“Such as?” Yuu snarled.
Inuyasha seemed to hesitate then, perhaps losing some of his bravado. It might have had something to do with his arm jerking down just then as Kagome tried to get his attention, and although his eyes never left those of Yuu, his cockiness faltered, and he appeared to consider his next words.
`Please,' Tomoko silently pleaded, holding her breath.
He huffed then, and averted his eyes respectfully. “Just a few tips on cymbals,” he said finally, sounding irritated at having to stand down.
A collective sigh of relief sounded around the table, and Tomoko made a note to speak with Kagome later to make sure she had something lined up for birth control. `It won't be long now, if it hasn't happened already.'
“Hmph,” Yuu grunted, clearly not buying it. He seemed about to say something else, but Tomoko ground her heel into his toe and gave him a hard look. He winced and glared at her, and they had their own non-verbal conversation. `Don't even think about it!' she threatened silently.
His hard eyes spoke of his disapproval, but he kept his mouth shut for once, jutting his chin out in a juvenile pout. Satisfied he wouldn't drive their dinner guests away, she nodded once and picked up her glass. “I'm sure Kagome appreciates the advice you've given her, Inuyasha,” she said. “She's always looking to improve in her music, even if it isn't on the cello.”
Inuyasha stared at her, probably trying to gauge her sincerity. She offered a small smile and sipped her tea, noticing Kagome was watching her as well. He must have decided she was trustworthy, because he eventually smiled back, a small blush spreading across his nose. “Keh,” he simply said. And that was that.
Dinner passed rather uneventfully after that, with the exception of a few more stolen bites between her children and some googly eyes between Inuyasha and Kagome. Any awkwardness remaining from earlier dissipated as the meal went on, and she found herself sighing with relief as she finished her rice.
“Well!” Sango said, folding her napkin next to her empty bowl. “That was a great dinner, Okaa-san. Thank you so much.”
“Entertaining, too!” Kohaku added mischievously, earning a kick under the table from his sister.
Tomoko smiled, rising to her feet. “Thank you, dear. I have some peach cobbler if anyone would like some. Inuyasha, perhaps you could make the coffee? Since you're so good at it,” she added with a wink.
She had to fight to keep a straight face at the matching red faces he and Kagome sported after her request. Shaking her head, she smiled as she went back to the kitchen.
A half-hour later, the boys had finished over half of the cobbler while Kagome and Sango were content with coffee, which really was quite good, to Inuyasha's credit. Kohaku was on his third bowl of dessert when Yuu decided he'd had enough company and excused himself to his study. Everyone seemed to relax a little more once he was out of the room, which gave Tomoko mixed feelings, but she kept them to herself.
“You'll have to tell me how you fixed the coffee,” she said, sipping from the LSU mug Sango had gotten her during her freshmen year. “This is the same coffee I always buy, but it really does taste better. What is your secret?”
“A pinch of salt on the grinds, brewed strong,” Inuyasha admitted. He licked his spoon clean and pushed his bowl away, declaring himself full. “It was a trick I learned from my old ma- er, my father,” he corrected, glancing at her nervously.
She waved her hand dismissively. “No need to be so formal with me, Inuyasha. If I ever meet your father, I'll be sure to let him know you were nothing but respectful on our first meeting.”
His eyes clouded then, looking pained, and she frowned as she set her mug down on the table. She'd touched on something again, apparently, and she had a feeling it was unpleasant.
“My father's dead,” he suddenly said, confirming her suspicions.
Everybody's heads shot up at that announcement, and Kagome brought a hand to her mouth. `This is news for everyone,' Tomoko realized, watching her niece's eyes water as she put a hand on Inuyasha's shoulder. “I'm so sorry,” she said, watching his back go rigid and making a note to tread carefully. “Was it recent?” she gently asked.
His lips tightened as he kept his eyes down, pausing a moment. “June.”
`Right before he moved here,' she realized, her thoughts racing. `There is more to this story.'
“Inuyasha,” Kagome whispered, her cheeks wet.
He reached up and grasped her hand on his shoulder, squeezing it without looking at her. “It's fine,” he said, though his eyes said differently.
The awkwardness from earlier was nothing compared to now. She noticed Kohaku fidgeting in his seat a bit before finally standing up. “Excuse me,” he simply said, and left the room, his dessert left forgotten on the table. The boy had never really had to deal with death before, and he clearly wasn't sure on how to act. But then really, was anyone?
Sango looked down at her cooling coffee, her hands in her lap. “I'm sorry, Inuyasha,” she said, her own eyes misty.
“It's fine,” he repeated brusquely. His chair scraped across the floor as he abruptly stood, letting Kagome's hand drop from his shoulder. “I'll be back,” he muttered, and quickly walked out, toward the living room and beyond. Tomoko watched him go, embarrassed for her faux pas, but took some relief in the fact that at least he wasn't leaving the house.
Miroku cleared his throat, setting his bowl aside. “Well, this certainly explains a few things,” he said softly, looking at Sango.
She nodded. “I had no idea,” she admitted. “But it does make sense. A few of the comments he's made.”
Tomoko reached across for Kagome's hand. “You didn't know?” she asked.
She shook her head silently, wiping her eyes with her free hand.
“That's a little odd, don't you think?” Sango said, furrowing her brow as she looked at Miroku. “You told me about your father on what? Our second or third date?”
He nodded thoughtfully, scratching his chin. “Everyone deals with these things differently, my love. And we don't know the circumstances in which Inuyasha's father passed. It may have been traumatic.”
Kagome flinched noticeably then, and Tomoko wanted to hug the girl. Especially traumatic deaths was another topic her niece knew well.
“Does he know your father died, too, Kagome?” Sango asked.
“It hasn't exactly come up,” Kagome muttered.
Miroku chuckled humorlessly, shaking his head. “What are we, the Dead Dads Club?”
Tomoko frowned, thinking it a crass comment to make, but it actually brought a smile out of Kagome. Sango looked scandalized as well, but then again, maybe she wouldn't understand.
“We're still getting to know each other,” Kagome said after a while, wiping the last of the tears from her eyes. “I'm sure he would have told me eventually. Maybe….” She trailed off unconvincingly, lost in thought.
Sango nodded. “These things take time. You two will get there. The good ones always do, sooner or later.”
“The good what?” Kagome asked.
Sango grinned knowingly. “The good couples. The ones who are so obviously right for each other. They'll always find a way to work it out.”
Tomoko smiled, approving of her daughter's assessment. `She's growing up,' she thought sentimentally.
“Well, I'm glad to hear you think we're a good couple now,” Kagome drawled. “Two weeks ago, you had a pretty different opinion.”
“No, I always thought you were right for each other. I just thought your timing sucked.”
“Sango!” Tomoko exclaimed, thinking maybe she wasn't so grown up after all.
She had the good grace to blush. “Sorry, Okaa-san.”
“Speaking of bad timing,” Inuyasha said, breezing back into the room. “There's a band of thunderstorms heading this way that I really don't feel like driving through, so unless we're staying the night, we should probably head out soon.”
“Inuyasha!” Kagome jumped to her feet and ran to him, hugging his waist. He put his arm around her shoulders, squeezing comfortingly, but otherwise looked rather stony-faced.
“Were you checking the weather?” Miroku asked skeptically, scooting back in his chair.
“Nah, Mr. Higurashi told me,” he replied.
That was met with a moment of stunned silence as everyone stared at him in confusion. He shrugged it off. “I went to apologize to him. For dinner,” he added meaningfully.
Tomoko blinked, pleasantly surprised that he took the high road. For not the first time tonight, she smiled at him and thanked the Kami for delivering this man, this hanyou to Kagome. `He may be just what she needs,' she thought, watching them hold each other. `Then again, she may be what he needs as well.'
“Well, let's get going,” Sango decided, rising with her and Kagome's coffee cups in hand. “I'd rather be at home when the storms hit, too, if possible.”
Tomoko stood as well, leaving the rest of the dishes for Kohaku to gather later. “I'm so glad you all could make it,” she said genuinely. “Especially you, Kagome. Don't let it be so long until you come again, please. We miss you.”
Kagome pulled away from Inuyasha to embrace her aunt. “I won't, Oba-chan. And thank you.”
“What are we, chopped liver?” Miroku quipped teasingly.
Tomoko laughed, pulling him into a hug as well. “You're expected, my boy, to be here whenever you can make it,” she stressed, squeezing his shoulders, then lowered her voice for his ears only. “You make my daughter very happy. That's good enough for me. Don't worry too much about my husband; he will come around.”
Miroku pulled back just enough to gape at her, stunned. “Th-thank you… Okaa-san,” he added quietly, a slight twinkle in his eye.
She beamed at him. `I knew it!' “Be sure to speak with him first, however, before you ask any important questions,” she advised seriously.
He nodded, smiling brightly. She gave him another hug and let him go just as Sango returned from the kitchen, eyeing her questioningly. She merely winked at her daughter and gave him a light push in her direction. “Drive safely going back,” she said, watching them all head toward the door.
Sango stopped to give her a quick hug. “Thank you, Okaa-san. Say good-bye to Otou-san and Kohaku for me.”
“I will, dear.”
Inuyasha's ear twitched again. “Thank you for inviting me, Mrs. Higurashi,” he said, probably a bit more formally than he was accustomed to.
She smiled wistfully. “Call me Tomoko, and it was my pleasure. You're welcome to come anytime as well. Maybe you can be the one to make sure I see my niece more often!”
He grinned, one canine peeking out. “Maybe. Thanks again.”
As the kids headed outside, she saw Kagome put a hand on his arm, speaking quietly. “Why didn't you tell me?”
“Not now, Kagome,” he growled back, prompting her to drop her hand.
Tomoko frowned at the exchange, but resolved not to meddle. There was definitely something more to that story, and she could only hope Kagome could help him cope with what was so obviously tormenting him. The two clearly had something special, and she would hate to see it fail because of something from his past.
She stood in the doorway and watched as they all piled into Inuyasha's expensive-looking car, sending up a quick prayer that they made it home safely. Kagome looked subdued as she buckled her seatbelt, and her heart clenched a bit for her niece, but once again, she told herself all would be well. `But maybe I'll check in with her in a few days….'
They all waved as they pulled away, heading down the drive into the nearly empty street. She waved back, watching them leave, and looked to the horizon over the trees, noticing a flash of lightning in the far distance. “Storm's coming,” she mumbled to herself, and stepped back to shut the door.
***
Kouga stared at his computer screen, the words blurred and indecipherable to his bleary eyes. It was Monday, nearly 10 AM, and he was on his fourth latte of the day as he struggled for some type of productivity on this, the third week after Kagome emphatically kicked him out of her life. He was still struggling to fit the reality of his newfound single status into his daily routine, and the fact that they were still friends on Facebook wasn't helping. She didn't get on it much anymore, as he knew, and he had been ashamedly using that fact to do a little cyber snooping over the past couple of weeks.
`Speaking of which….' He put down venti Starbucks cup and opened his web browser, tapping on the keyboard. Once the website loaded, he clicked on his profile where, as of yesterday, it said he was still in a relationship with Kagome Higurashi. `I'm fucking pathetic,' he berated himself, watching his profile page blink into existence. Under his picture--one of him and Kagome at a crawfish boil last spring--he read his basic info:
Kouga Watanabe
Marketing Director at Blue Waters Publishing House
Studied Business Administration at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Lives in New Orleans, Louisiana
From Chicago, Illinois
In a relationship
He blinked at the words, reading them again. In a relationship. Where was Kagome's name? Unless….
His chest tightened. She did it. She logged in and deleted their relationship, as if it had never existed. He ground his teeth together, feeling more pathetic than ever. `It was already over, you idiot. Don't take Facebook so seriously. You're not a fucking preteen, for Christ's sake.'
Shaking his head, another thought occurred to him, and he typed her name into the search field, hesitating a moment before finally hitting Enter. A half-second later, Kagome's profile filled his computer screen. He scanned below the profile picture of her posing with her cello in concert black:
Kagome Higurashi
Lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
From Kyoto, Japan
…and that was it. He scrolled down, but the only other information he saw was her cover photo, which was simply a panoramic of Tiger Stadium. She'd removed him from her friends list as well.
He flopped back in his chair, staring at the screen. So, that was it, wasn't it? She'd made it official on social media and cut him out of her life for good. Once again he chastised himself for looking to Facebook for confirmation, but there was a shred of validity to it, after all, in this day and age. It was out there for the world to see now. And a small part of him hated her for it.
Feeling numb, he struggled to sit up again, and slowly typed in Miroku's name, grasping for straws. Not surprised to see similar results on his page, he slouched even more and tried Sango. He raised an eyebrow when her profile came up, not because she had forgotten to unfriend him--which she hadn't--but because much of her profile was viewable to the public. Interesting.
Feeling more like scum by the minute, Kouga scrolled down, searching for any posts tagged with his ex. He skimmed through the various pictures of Sango and Miroku, posts about the football team, and shared memes, but eventually, one photo caught his eye. It was dated over a week ago, on Saturday at 11:53 PM, and had a simple caption: “At Walk-Ons celebrating another W with Miroku and these two crazies!
It was Kagome and that rat bastard hanyou. He had his arms wrapped around her from behind, and her hands were gripping his wrists. His chin was resting on her shoulder. They were both looking at the camera, both looking brightly happy, if not a little glassy-eyed. Miroku's head was at the far left, a big, goofy smile on his face as he photo-bombed the pair, but Kouga barely saw him. He couldn't take his eyes off the happy couple and their intimate embrace.
There were comments, one from Miroku: “Got eem!”
A few others: “Aw, I love those guys!
“My second favorite couple! (Besides me and Mike of course!)”
“Those two are so cute it's gross!”
“Go Yasha! Finally got her lol”
“Does this mean he's not available, cuz damn!”
And to the last one, finally, a reply from Kagome: “Yes, he's all mine! :)”
Kouga stared at the words, feeling his chest constrict again. Yes, he's all mine! :)
Yes, he's all mine! :)
He distantly heard the sound of plastic breaking, and he looked down to see a long crack running down the length of his mouse under the pressure of his straining fingers. He stared at the broken mouse, his brain not really processing what his eyes were seeing. Yes, he's all mine! :)
“Kouga?”
He looked up at the sound of his name, noticing Jack Boudreaux, the Human Resources Manager, at his office door. “Yes?” he intoned robotically.
Jack frowned. “Is everything all right?” he asked.
“Yes,” he repeated, not really hearing him.
Jack nodded, still frowning. “I'm showing our new Director of Talent around and introducing her to the staff. She interviewed here a couple of weeks ago. I'm sure you saw the memo about her being brought on.”
Blinking out of his fog, Kouga rose from his chair, vaguely recalling the hubbub caused by some woman showing up in Sesshomaru's office for an interview, and the mild scene that resulted when he'd calmly referred to her as a lying bitch and demanded she leave. “Yes, I remember,” he said, doing his best to look professional. It wouldn't do for the boot to see him at anything but his best.
Jack stepped aside, allowing the woman to come into view. She was Japanese, and very pretty. Beautiful, even. His heart tinged again, being reminded of Kagome, and he bit back a curse.
“Ms. Yamamoto, this is Kouga Watanabe, our Director of Marketing. Your departments often work in tandem, so you'll get to know him well enough fairly soon, I bet.”
Ruby red lips widened in a purely sexual smile, and Kouga's groin clenched as he shook her hand, all too aware of how long it had been since he'd fucked a woman. The last thing he needed to do was get involved with a co-worker, but damn if this bitch wasn't already coming onto him. “A pleasure to meet you,” he managed to croak out.
“All mine,” she purred, her eyes twinkling as she looked him up and down.
Kouga's groin clenched again, but his heart clenched as well, reminding him he was on the rebound. He was hurting bad, but dammit, he needed to get fucking laid!
Yes, he's all mine! :)
“Kouga, your office is our last stop. Would you mind taking her to lunch? I normally would on her first day, but I have a meeting with our union rep that popped up, and I can't reschedule.”
Kouga nodded, a slow smile spreading across his face to match hers. “No problem, Jack. I'll take good care of her.”
“Thanks. Ms. Yamamoto, when you get back, stop by and we'll get your paperwork all set up.”
“I'll do that, Mr. Boudreaux,” she said, still looking at Kouga.
Once he left, Kouga grinned a little wider, though distantly wondering what her history with Sesshomaru was. Was this the ex-wife he'd mentioned? Her name had been Kagumi, or Kagose, or something like that, and Sess hadn't mentioned her last name. He shook his head of his distracting thoughts, realizing she was still eyeing him. “So. What would you like to do for lunch?” he asked leadingly.
She smiled suggestively. “I'm up for anything,” she replied, clasping her hands in front of her.
He nodded, having to forcibly stop himself from pulling her into his office and shutting the door. `Take it easy. No need to be sent to HR because I misread the new bitch's cues!' But she was giving him every opportunity to assume her intentions, and she really was beautiful. And her being Japanese reminded him of Kagome just enough to make him want to fuck her, which was a dangerous thought. He'd never been the one to want revenge sex, but….
Yes, he's all mine! :)
“Let's go,” he said, patting his pocket to make sure he had his keys. “I know a great little place we can go. I hope you like spicy food, Ms. Yamamoto,” he added, watching for her reaction.
“I love spicy,” she said, and smirked sinfully. “And please, call me Kikyou.”
**********************************
Dun-dun-dunnnnnnnn. Kudos to those who predicted this. If I
successfully convinced anyone this was Kagura, I'll be happy. BUT!
Make no assumptions. :D
Well! I hope this was worth the wait. I might not have gotten it posted today, but I've been home sick the past few days with strep throat (which is just lovely, in case you've never had it), so I've had a little more time to myself than usual. Of course, this just means next week is going to be brutal when I go back to work. And the even better news is I think my daughter has it now. *cries*
Coming up next: Somebody is served a nice, warm slice of humble pie, a la mode.
Well! I hope this was worth the wait. I might not have gotten it posted today, but I've been home sick the past few days with strep throat (which is just lovely, in case you've never had it), so I've had a little more time to myself than usual. Of course, this just means next week is going to be brutal when I go back to work. And the even better news is I think my daughter has it now. *cries*
Coming up next: Somebody is served a nice, warm slice of humble pie, a la mode.